They had come on a visit, and were
sleeping on the floor in the front room. We also heard him throw the
slip-rails down.
There was a heavy fog that morning. At breakfast we talked about Dave,
and Dad "s'posed" he would just about be getting in; but an hour or two
after breakfast the fog cleared, and we saw Dave in the lane hammering
Nell with a stick. Nell had her rump to the fence and was trying hard to
kick it down. Dad went to him. "Take her gently; take her GENTLY, boy,"
he shouted. "PSHAW! take her GENTLY!" Dave shouted back. "Here"--he
jumped off her and handed Dad the reins--"take her away and cut her
throat." Then he cried, and then he picked up a big stone and rushed at
Nell's head. But Dad interfered.
But the day Dad mounted Nell to bring a doctor to Anderson! She started
away smartly--the wrong road. Dad jerked her mouth and pulled her round
roughly. He was in a hurry--Nell was n't. She stood and shook her head
and switched her tail. Dad rattled a waddy on her and jammed his heels
hard against her ribs. She dropped her head and cow-kicked. Then he
coaxed her. "Come on, old girl," he said; "come on,"--and patted her on
the neck.
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